My Wall Leaks!

[buadhai]

The water pressure in our area has improved mightily over the past few days. This is a welcome change. The downside, however, is that we have developed a significant leak in the kitchen wall just below one of the taps.

The wall there has always been moist, but now we have a significant puddle on the floor.

I'm assuming this means a cracked pipe or a leak in an improperly fitted joint. (It's all plastic with both slip and threaded joints.)

I see two possible solutions:

1 - Put a towel on the floor and squeeze it out now and then.

2 - Break into the wall, hope I find the leak, hope I can repair the leak, patch up the wall.

Any advice?

(Aside: Why do people insist on burying plumbing inside of masonry walls? When I first moved to Saipan it seemed that every home I visited had concrete walls scarred with patches made necessary by defective or broken embedded plumbing. When I had my concrete house built I ran all the plumbing in trenches along the outside walls. This saved me huge trouble when Saipan's corrosive water actually ate through some of the copper pipe. I was able to replace it easily without wielding a hammer and cold chisel.)

[lopburi3]

You have nothing else to do so a cold chisel and hammer should keep you busy this week.

I agree with using surface pipes (along rear outside walls) and have just changed our house (which is 30 years old) which had some underground leaks. Paid someone to do the job and only took two days for 5 baths and two kitchens as am older and lazier. Did tell them how to do it however.

Our house once had a piece of plastic hose to make it around a support pillar as original equipment.

[jayenram]

When I had my house built, I decided that all internal pipes and cables (in conduit) were to be embedded into the walls. Whilst it looks good (because you can't see it), I'm wondering if I might live to regret it.

[buadhai]

You have nothing else to do so a cold chisel and hammer should keep you busy this week. 

Paid someone to do the job

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Grand idea.

[pnustedt]

Why do people insist on burying plumbing inside of masonry walls?

To protect them from the frost!

[lopburi3]

Why do people insist on burying plumbing inside of masonry walls?

To protect them from the frost!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Still waiting for that first frost. Hail yes. Frost no.

FYI: They make nice clip on type holders for 1/2" pipe now and when painted the external pipe is a lot less noticeable that the grime buadhai mentioned yesterday.

Edited July 13, 2005 by lopburi3

[LoveDaBlues]

The leak will only get worse.....so #1 option is no good. You just have to bite the bullet and fix it. In the states when a new house is built roll copper is used because it's cheaper and easier.....straight shots laid out before the foundation is poured on top. No joints are allowed except in the walls. I HATE this method. At my mothers house a leak developed under her double ovens. I discovered this after I had jack-hammered 2 square feet of kitchen floor up. No way to reach the leaky section of pipe so I had to dig up another 6 feet of kitchen floor and by-pass the leak.

Good luck.......I &lt;deleted&gt; hate plumbing jobs.

[chownah]

Whatever you do don't fix it!!! Paint a picture of Jesus there so it looks like he's crying....call the Pope....its a miracle....you'll be rich....

[LoveDaBlues]

jayenram - yes you will.

[buadhai]

Ah, at least I've had some bloody good laughs before I tackle the job.

I'll report back later....

[WhiteShiva]

When I had my house built, I decided that all internal pipes and cables (in conduit) were to be embedded into the walls. Whilst it looks good (because you can't see it), I'm wondering if I might live to regret it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

3 words: Quality, quality, quality........

[buadhai]

Whatever you do don't fix it!!!  Paint a picture of Jesus there so it looks like he's crying....call the Pope....its a miracle....you'll be rich....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I tried this. Sadly, my artistic ability is such that the leak appeared in the general area of His crotch. Unfortunately a "Peeing Jesus" is of little interest to the Vatican.

[penzman]

Whatever you do don't fix it!!!  Paint a picture of Jesus there so it looks like he's crying....call the Pope....its a miracle....you'll be rich....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Kringle]

Whatever you do don't fix it!!!  Paint a picture of Jesus there so it looks like he's crying....call the Pope....its a miracle....you'll be rich....

I tried this. Sadly, my artistic ability is such that the leak appeared in the general area of His crotch. Unfortunately a "Peeing Jesus" is of little interest to the Vatican.

I would almost pay to see that.

Forgot to add, fix the wall, the sooner the better.

Edited July 13, 2005 by Kringle

[buadhai]

So far, so good. I chipped away at the spackle where the tap exits the wall and unscrewed the fittings only to find that one had broken off at the threads, about half way down. Used a knife to remove the remaining threads that were still in the female fitting. Everything else looked OK.

Bought a new fitting, screwed everything together and, so far (fingers crossed), no leak.

So, unless I've really fcuked-up, much easier than I'd imagined.

[Jai Dee]

So far, so good. I chipped away at the spackle where the tap exits the wall and unscrewed the fittings only to find that one had broken off at the threads, about half way down. Used a knife to remove the remaining threads that were still in the female fitting. Everything else looked OK.

Bought a new fitting, screwed everything together and, so far (fingers crossed), no leak.

So, unless I've really fcuked-up, much easier than I'd imagined.

Did you use the white PTFE (teflon) plumbers tape on the threaded joints before screwing it all up?

(sorry if that sounds vaguely offensive... )

[buadhai]

Did you use the white PTFE (teflon) plumbers tape on the threaded joints before screwing it all up?

(sorry if that sounds vaguely offensive...  )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nah, just a little saliva....

Yeah, I used teflon tape....

[buadhai]

Bugger all, the focker still leaks.

Oh, not the part I replaced. That's fine.

What leaks is the fitting where the valve (brass, male) screws into the female fitting (also brass) that I installed in the wall.

Somehow, the male threads on the valve are slightly too small. You can easily hand tighten the thing right to the bottom of the threads. I tried using gobs of teflon tape, but no joy - still leaks.

Tried a different valve. Same problem. Should be too tight to hand tighten to the base of the threads but it's not.

Bought another plastic valve and replaced the metal fitting in the wall with plastic.

Same problem. Too loose. Leaks.

So, I glued the &lt;deleted&gt; thing.

Now waiting for the glue to dry so I can turn the main back one.

[Jai Dee]

Jai yen yen Mike... TIT.

Just think of all the good experience you've gained and the knowledge of what to do if it ever happens again... next time will be a breeze hey?

[buadhai]

So far I've spent about six hours on what should have been a simple project. I've been to the hardware store three times. I've gone through three valves (two metal and one plastic), four rolls of teflon tape, four or five different combinations of plastic and metal fittings. And, the thing still leaks. (The plastic valve which I bought today and glued to another fitting was of such poor quality that the valve itself leaked. However, none of the fittings leaked that time!)

I've done plumbing all my life. Heck, I built my own house and did all the plumbing for it....

For an indication of how I feel now, see this recently resurrected thread:

When Thailand Gets Too Much....

Ah, yes. Jai Yen Yen. TIT. Happy Hour coming soon...

[Kringle]

you didn't take into consideration the poor materials that you will find here in Thailand. A lot of people (or should I say, rich people) import certain materials ie: windows, plumbing parts and a host of other products just not available here. Haven't seen a double pained window yet in Thaialnd, never mind one that is filled with different gases for different effects and heat and cold control.

I've never seen a house plumbed in copper either.

[Jai Dee]

I've never seen a house plumbed in copper either.

Actually a mate of mine has just done that Kringle... a plumbing company in Pattaya is offering this service now and it's generating quite a bit of interest.

[IvanLaw]

Seems like this topic may “run” for some time!!

Sorry, Off work, Bored with time on my hands.

Regards

Ivan

[buadhai]

you didn't take into consideration the poor materials that you will find here in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Right you are. The quality of both tools and materials is pretty appalling. No wonder maintenance is so lacking. You can't get the tools and materials to do the job right, so why bother?

Incidentally. It's been five hours now and my repair is holding. Not a drop.

We'll see what tomorrow holds.

(Obviously, I've had a few Chang by now.)

[Kringle]

I've never seen a house plumbed in copper either.

Actually a mate of mine has just done that Kringle... a plumbing company in Pattaya is offering this service now and it's generating quite a bit of interest.

It is great to hear that someone is doing this. I can do the job myself and will do so when I build my one story ranch style house.

you didn't take into consideration the poor materials that you will find here in Thailand.

Right you are. The quality of both tools and materials is pretty appalling. No wonder maintenance is so lacking. You can't get the tools and materials to do the job right, so why bother?

Incidentally. It's been five hours now and my repair is holding. Not a drop.

We'll see what tomorrow holds.

(Obviously, I've had a few Chang by now.)

Forgot all about the tools and have been getting a friend to bring things in for me whenever he comes to visit. Makes everything so much easier when you have the right stuff.

Edited July 13, 2005 by Kringle

[LoveDaBlues]

ahhhhhh, this thread just reinforces my decision to rent when I get back to LOS.

[IvanLaw]

Buadhi

Just curious, Leak repaired now?

I have just replaced taps in kitchen,

Bought new Sat, today water off, remove, replace, water on

All ok No wall problems total time 30 mins

Regards

Ivan

[buadhai]

Ivan,

Yes, all fixed. Solution was to wrap about 20 or 25 layers of teflon tape around the tap threads. Ordinarily you only need two or three. But, ordinarily male pipe threads are tapered so that you can start the process by hand but need a wrench to finish tightening. All the male pipe threads I've examined in LOS lack the taper and hence require mountains of teflon tape.

Since the wall repair I have hung a new shelf in the shower room (old electric drill with new, expensive masonry bit works fine) and installed a stop valve so a sink that has gone unused for years now has water again.

I have been in this house less than four months and have already repaired or replaced five valves.

Doesn't bode well for the future....

[lopburi3]

You are right that a very large amount of tape is required, but you said that you had used globs or some such thing so thought you were putting the 40 or so layers on. What you try to do is taper the tape so you have more at the outside end of thread and compress that when you screw it in. Whenever possible I try to buy washer type fittings to avoid the need for tape but for wall taps you don't have much choice.

[buadhai]

I guess that to me "gobs" meant ten wraps. In fact, most people warn you that putting more than two or three wraps may cause the joint to leak. Of course, that advice assumes properly machined fittings....

So, now I know. I've got several rolls of teflon tape stocked up for the next job!